Chromjuwelen: Building a Motorkultur universe

BECKER CREATIVE established an online community for passionate car culture by

building a dynamic, go-to platform

creating an overall brand and identity

remixing car culture

storytelling and building narratives

finding and curating car content

converting a digital brand into events and a real-life product

marketing content

The success of any project depends upon getting the right people and the right elements together at the right time. It’s what we strive for in every project we lead. And when you really get it right, things tend to coalesce in ways that far exceed anyone’s expectations.

That’s exactly what happened with the Chromjuwelen project (“Chrome Jewels”). It started out as an explanation really—just a way to show that car magazines and car shows didn’t need to be so typically boring. However, it soon transformed into one of the most influential automotive networking platforms in Germany (if not all of Europe).

Through careful attention to design and detail, we established a brand and a style all our own. Chromjuwelen.com became the “go-to” source for all things automotive. And by adopting the ideas of “re-mixing,” “playlists,” and curating, which transformed the music industry, we took a similar approach toward re-defining ways that gear-heads, motor mavens, car collectors, and auto execs could communicate and share their passion for all things automotive.

A good idea is one thing. But knowing how to cultivate it, and synthesize it, is something altogether different—it’s what makes the difference between a nice idea and an absolute must-have brand.

We soon realized that Chromjuwelen was more than just a popular online media platform (albeit an enormous one with a sophisticated content management system behind it). We knew we had developed a different style, a different approach, and a different way of bringing people together. And with careful deliberation and precise execution, we figured out how to adapt it and create a unique brand of car shows and events.

In bringing people together, and promoting an ever-expanding network of auto enthusiasts, we looked beyond the “man versus machine” clichés. We focused on the passions and the desires of those who embraced the Chromjuwelen brand. Of course, this is essential for developing brand loyalty. But we wanted more. We wanted to harness the power of the shared affinities among our wildly diverse audience—and we did. Through painstaking analysis, and good-old-fashioned listening, we were able to tap into the difference between “nice-to-have” and “absolutely gotta have it,” and “maybe I’ll go” and “I wouldn’t miss it for anything.” And much like the way we judiciously selected every photo and every story that appeared on Chromjuwelen.com, we took the same “no compromises” approach to our events and our products.

As with any marketing research and product development initiative, we looked for opportunities to do something better, something different—and something that would ultimately be successful. Certain markets were saturated. Some were still emerging and too risky and unstable. And others were so well established that we couldn’t even dream about the resources necessary to scratch the ice, never mind break through it.

However, we did a few things that often make a big difference in product development. For example, we used our established brand as a platform to launch new products. And we patiently listened and looked for opportunities that were right for us, and fulfilled a need among our audience. Subsequently, we didn’t develop just another motor oil—we developed a unique line of motor oils specially formulated for classic cars.

We’re not trying to boast, but if we may, there’s something else we seemed to get right: we listened to our customer base—and the experts. We listened to what customers wanted. We listened to the motor oil experts at MATHÉ, our development partner, when it came to developing our Chromjuwelen Motor Öl. And we listened to our audience and our design experts when it came to developing the product packaging.

This soon proved to make a significant difference. Of course, there were plenty of motor oils already out there to choose from. But for many classic car collectors and vintage racers, pouring motor oil from a futuristic-looking container into their beloved car from yesteryear just didn’t feel right. Our premium-quality motor oils provided outstanding performance.

In developing the Chromjuwelen project over the years, we’ve a lot about what it takes to successfully implement a different approach, uphold impeccable editorial standards, inspire a professional network with diverse interests, and delight extremely demanding retail customers.

The Chromjuwelen project launched many of our collaborations with leading enterprises such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Continental. And lead to projects that took us from Dubai to Las Vegas to LA, and so many places in between.

Granted, many of our current projects have nothing to do with cars. Yet the knowledge and expertise we’ve gained in developing the Chromjuwelen brand is part of everything we do.

Having visited a vast number of international auto and press events, art exhibitions, races and some of the most remote garages all over the world, we’ve produced more than 3,000 of our own stories, shot myriads of photos (find a selection here), produced several videos (find a full list here) and gathered more than 23,000 articles and 5,500 videos. And there’s more to come.